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Above Image: ST JOHN’S CHAPEL, THE TOWER OF LONDON. THIS IS A LISTED MONUMENT SO IT WAS A COMPLICATED LOCATION. WORK THAT HAD TO BE DONE WHILST OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE LOCATION IS VERY FRAGILE SO NOTHING COULD TOUCH WALLS. DRESSING HAD TO CONTRAST STRONGLY WITH THE ARCHITECTURE, TO FEEL LIKE A BOARDROOM, HENCE A GLASS AND STEEL BOARDROOM TABLE WITH WHITE LEATHER CHAIRS. A BUST OF ANTHONY HOPKINS WAS COMMISSIONED FOR THIS SCENE.

Richard Eyre’s new version of King Lear provided an exciting vehicle in which to present the play. Lear is set in a fictional parallel present, the world is the same, buses run on the streets, traffic, business, etc. But control lies with King Lear, a fascist dictator. The creative team wanted the film to feel contemporary, the different characters in the story require different feels for their scenes. Colour was used sparingly as we decided that the film would gradually become more desaturated as the story progressed. The different environments created hopefully help tell the story, from the power of the Tower of London and Hatfield House, to the squalor of a refugee camp. Fog and a cold light descend over the story as Lear veers into the world of madness and isolation. The following pages hopefully explain the design process through reference, sketches and a description of the way I went about creating the world of 21st-century King Lear.

C. BUST MADE OF SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS IN THE STYLE OF MUSSOLINI, THIS WAS MODELED AND CAST BY WHETTON AND GROSCH, A PROP-MAKING COMPANY BASED IN TWICKENHAM, LONDON. THE VERDIGRIS FINISH WAS APPLIED AS A PAINT FINISH.

The Tower of London

The initial references looked at Lear as a Mussolini style dictator and elements of his world. We looked at films like The Conformist with its stark minimal style and feel which gives it a very strong identity. Lear’s headquarters was set in the Tower of London, as this seemed like the place a would-be dictator would base his newfound power. We used the very beautiful St John’s Chapel and the adjacent rooms. The incredible Norman architecture was contrasted with modern furniture, a plate glass conference table with white leather chairs and a fabulous contemporary chandelier that was found at a design fair. A bust of Anthony Hopkins was commissioned in the style of Mussolini, finished in a verdigris bronze, it sat on a pedestal on the altar and it became an important feature of the scene. Two stainless steel console tables with simple elegant glasses and a decanter finished off the minimal dressing. As the scene is set at night, blacking out this room proved to be one of the biggest challenges! Limited preproduction time on location (as it’s open to the public) meant everything had to be very carefully organised.

A & B. HERTFORD TOWN HALL WAS USED AS THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE (MOD). AS THE ARCHITECTURE IS SIMILAR TO THE REAL LOCATION IN WHITEHALL IN CENTRAL LONDON. MODERN YELLOW SIGNAGE AND DRESSING WERE ADDED TO MATCH A SIMILAR MAKEOVER DONE TO THE REAL MOD.

C & D. EDGAR’S OFFICE, ALSO AT HERTFORD TOWN HALL, SHOT ON THE SAME DAY AS MINISTRY OF WAR. EDGAR STUDIES THE STARS, HE’S AN ASTROPHYSICIST, THE IMAGES ON THE SCREENS WERE PRODUCED AND PLAYED LIVE THROUGH PLAYBACK RATHER THAN ADDED IN POST PRODUCTION.

Hertford Town Hall

The interior of the Ministry of War had to be filmed near Hatfield House for scheduling reasons, so the production looked for a location that would feel like it belonged in Whitehall with a municipal feel. Local authority architecture of the 1930s has a strong identity, white Portland stone and neo-classical in style and detail. Hertford Country hall fitted all the requirements, and offered a good match for a Whitehall interior. The real Ministry of Defense (MOD) has had a makeover with strong new graphics throughout so this was referenced with bold signage in yellow. Additional scenery was added beyond entrance doors, along with a large panel of photos of MOD staff. This also covered a very large portrait that hangs in the building. The scene with Edmund setting up Gloucester to believe Edgar is conspiring against him required a long corridor so the camera can track back with Edmund, delivering his monologue in House of Cards-style directly to camera.

Edgar’s Office

Edgar (played by Andrew Scott) is a physicist, studying the effects of eclipses of the sun, so the scenes are set in a university/academic environment. Screens showing solar eclipses and generating data were created with the ability to zoom in on solar flares, all to be done in-camera rather that using post production. A real physicist was called in to write formula, and clear acrylic writing boards were used so the camera could shoot through the formulas written on them. This scene was also shot in Hertford town hall, I particularly like the warm honey-coloured panelling as it helped put across a municipal feel to the space. There were lots of books and paperwork in the background, but the important elements were the screens showing the solar eclipse and formulas.

A. A SKETCH FOR GONERIL’S HOUSE, CLASSICAL PROPORTIONS AND SCALE. THE LOCATION WAS A LARGE COUNTRY HOUSE CALLED WROTHAM PARK, JUST OUTSIDE LONDON.

B & C. GONERIL’S HOUSE DINING ROOM AND SALON. I WANTED TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION GONERIL HAD MARRIED INTO MONEY BUT WANTED TO IMPOSE HER ‘STYLE’ ON THE ONCE BEAUTIFUL HOUSE. TASTE MAYBE HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND!

Wrotham Park

Wrotham Park was used for Goneril’s house (played by Emma Thompson). Goneril, having married the Duke of Albany (played by Anthony Calf) has put her own mark on the interior. The director and I sat with Emma and Anthony to discuss the look of the interior. We decided to make it all rather sharp, spiky and hard, slightly uncomfortable. The majority of the scenes take place in the salon (as the layout of this room worked best for the action), but it is very red! Rather than trying to hide or fight with the colour of the room we decided to embrace it (referencing Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers). The action required Lear’s knights trudging mud into the room (to Goneril’s horror!) so the flooring was replaced with cream carpet with red borders (the red borders allowed for the easy replacement of the main area). The adjacent dining room was given a cold blue, with long plate glass table (echoing the conference table in Tower of London), hard sharp spiky dining chairs and architectural flower arrangements. White sofas with red cushions, red lamps and slashes of red in the carpet border gave the room contrast and a slight boudoir feel!

A. GONERIL’S SALON. LEAR COMES INTO THE LIVING ROOM WITH HIS 100 KNIGHTS. ALL WITH MUD ON THEIR BOOTS AND GENERAL DISARRAY.

B. RESEARCH BOARD FOR CHEQUERS, THE HOME OF THE PRIME MINISTER, SHOT AT HATFIELD HOUSE. A BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR FOR SOME VERY UGLY SCENES IN THE STORY.

C. KING LEAR IS A SCENE SHOT IN THE ARMORY AT HATFIELD HOUSE.

Hatfield House

Hatfield House was to be the film’s version of Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country retreat. The elegant splendour of the interior gave a feeling of tradition and stability against Lear’s fascist world. Here it was more about highlighting the beauty of the interior and using spaces simply, as there is so much detail existing. The Armoury has the most amazing floor and one wall of perforated jaali-type fretwork screens that cast beautiful light and shadows. The Winter Dining Room with its cold blue tapestries contrasted perfectly with the red of the blood for the Gloucester eye-gouging scene. The Marble Hall with portrait of Queen Elizabeth I becomes Edmund’s war room for the British army, utilitarian tables and equipment contrasting with the beautiful panelling. The courtyard is seen a lot, with comings and goings, and it is here where Lear leaves in a fit of rage and madness as the storm begins.

Pitstone Chalk Quarry

The wasteland scenes were shot in a working chalk quarry near Tring, a vast desolate moonscape of grey. A solitary dead tree was placed to mark the route for Lear and his Fool to follow. Huge rain rigs and wind machines created the storm. In the distance, huge pieces of machinery sit like dinosaur skeletons. This is where Lear comes across the refugee camp. The camp needed to feel very real, not big, but the choreography was very important, as it’s here Edgar is found hiding inside one of the tents. The colour palette was kept sombre, greys and dark blue. The scene takes place at night and this is where the descent into desaturation begins, so greys are preferred for that. A 20-foot steel shipping container was brought in for the scene inside the hovel, aged down heavily, and set up with an old mattress, a bench and a mirror. Less definitely than more! The light source inside the container is a portable gas heater. Again, heavy rain outside courtesy of special effects rain towers and an army ambulance with gurney finish off the scene.

A. THE GREAT HALL IN HATFIELD HOUSE DRESSED AS THE ENGLISH ARMY HQ, A ORIGINAL PORTRAIT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I (THE RAINBOW PORTRAIT) HANGS IN THE BACKGROUND, NOW SURROUNDED BY WIPE BOARDS ADN MILITARY MAPS.

B. SKETCH FOR THE WILDERNESS, SET IN A LARGE CHALK QUARRY, AND THE HOVEL BECAME A REFUGEE CAMP BUILT IN THE SAME LOCATION FROM FOUND MATERIALS.

C & D. THE WILDERNESS, A WORKING CHALK QUARRY NEAR TRING IN HERTFORDHIRE. THE LARGE SKELETAL MACHINERY GAVE FORM AND DINOSAUR-LIKE SCALE TO THE BARREN LANDSCAPE, AND SERVED AS A BACKDROP TO THE REFUGEE CAMP.

Suburban Britain at War

Suburban wartime Britain had to be close to Pitstone Quarry for scheduling reasons, a derelict industrial estate was found on the edge of a small village nearby with a series of derelict Nissen huts. The suburban living room set was built inside one of these, along with a street outside with a bus stop, front garden and street signage. The location provided total control to create the bomb blasts as Gloucester and Edgar run for cover. I wanted the interior to look just like a front room you would find anywhere in the country. A three-piece suite, wallpaper, TV, ornaments…normality. Bullet hits were built into the set walls, and there were breakaway ornaments and plates. The front garden was created from scratch, turf, a picket fence, bedding plants and hanging baskets. It was quite a challenge all in all as there was nothing there apart from a derelict Nissen hut!

A. SKETCH FOR THE SUBURBAN INTERIOR THAT WOULD BE THE SET FOR THE WAR SEQUENCE.

B. EMPTY NISSAN HUT THAT WOULD BECOME THE SUBURBAN INTERIOR.

C & D. INTERIOR OF THE HUNT BUILD-OUT AND DRESSED FOR SHOOTING.

Stevenage Shopping Centre

Stevenage Shopping Centre was the perfect base for the Gloucester and Lear reunion. The greyness of the 1960s new town architecture, benches and signage gave the scene an anchor in the reality of a soulless town. The proximity of Stevenage to Hatfield House was also a consideration, the production also looked at Hatfield Shopping Centre which was good too but didn’t have the strong perspective and enclosure of Stevenage. We changed signage, added benches, dustbins, deserted shopping trolleys, push bikes and prams. Setting the scene in a 1960s shopping centre brings the story into the reality of modern Britain, places people recognise and feel familiar with.

A. THE PASTORAL SUBURBAN FRONT YARD CREATED OUTSIDE THE HUT.

B. BREAKAWAY ELEMENTS TO BE USED DURING THE WAR SEQUENCES.

C. STEVENAGE SHOPPING CENTRE.

The French Army HQ

The French army field camp needed to feel very real, very up to date and believable, so real military equipment was used. A company based in Hereford that supplies the British army with tents and portable field war rooms was used. These structures are amazing things that get flown out all over the world, so they come pretty well flat packed! Cordelia’s War Room is a 20-foot portacabin with sides that extend and fold out, they’re kitted out inside with screens and desks so were the perfect solution for the task. The camp was set up on Samphire Hoe on the coast near the outskirts of Dover. Large pieces of equipment, a mobile satellite dish, army trucks, ammo boxes, tents and jeeps were brought in.

A. STEVENAGE SHOPPING CENTRE. I WANTED THE STORY TO REFLECT CURRENT SOCIETY AND ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, THIS SHOPPING CENTRE IS TYPICALLY ANONYMOUS, CONCRETE, BRUTAL AND UNINVITING. AN IMPORTANT SCENE IN THE STORY, LEAR COMES ACROSS GLOUCESTER WITH HIS SON, EDGAR, NOW BLIND, DESTITUTE AND HOMELESS, SITTING ON A BENCH. THE BLEAKNESS OF THE LOCATION FIT THE SCENE PERFECTLY.

Dover Castle

The courtyard in Dover Castle features heavily as it’s here Lear and Cordelia are led in wearing prison uniforms, and also where the fight between Edmund and Edgar takes place. Large field tents, ammo boxes and equipment were added to set the scene. It was decided that the fight would take the form of a martial arts fight, rubber matting was laid out as a boxing ring would be (as if in reality this is where the soldiers would practice). In a large room in the castle, directly above the courtyard, the British army HQ was staged. The crew had to remove all the tapestries and furniture, with great help from the crew at Dover Castle. A large central nerve centre was set up, with maps and lamps, and the majority of the scene revolved around this central table. The very final scene sees Kent following a large gurney containing the dead bodies of Lear and his three daughters, out through the main entrance arch into the fog beyond. ADG

A. RESEARCH BOARD FOR THE FRENCH ARMY HQ.

B. THE FRENCH ARMY HQ IN DOVER, REAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT WAS USED FOR AUTHENTICITY.

C. TO CREATE A WHITE STERILE WORLD, WHITE FIELD TENTS WERE PUT TOGETHER TO CREATE A TUNNEL, SIMPLE CHAIRS AND NOTHING ELSE. THE FABRIC WAS TRANSLUCENT AND LIT FROM OUTSIDE.

Peter Francis, Production Designer

Astrid Sieben, Supervising Art Director

Kira Kemble, Assistant Art Director

Daisy Mason, Standby Art Director

Charlotte Watts Dirickx, Set Decorator

A & B. ENGLISH ARMY HQ AT DOVER CASTLE, A LARGE MAP TABLE IN THE CENTRE OF THE ROOM BECAME THE CENTRAL FOCUS.

C. LEAR DRAGS CORDELIA’S CORPSE INTO THE COURTYARD OF DOVER CASTLE. BY THIS POINT, THE FILM HAS BECOME VERY DESATURATED, THE SOLDIERS’ UNIFORMS, TENTS AND DRESSING IN SIMILAR TONES TO THE COLOR OF THE STONE OF THE CASTLE.

D. KENT FOLLOWS THE GURNEY THAT CARRIES THE DEAD BODIES OF LEAR, GONERIL, REGAN AND CORNELIA OUT INTO THE MIST.